HBU-CENTRAL ARK.
The Huskies take on one of the Southland’s top squads.
Records: Houston Baptist 1-3, 0-2 Southland; Central Arkansas 3-1, 2-0.
Series history: Central Arkansas leads 3-0.
Key players: HBU — QB Bailey Zappe, RB Terrance Peters, LB Garrett Dolan; Central Arkansas — QB Hayden Hildebrand, RB Kierre Crossley, CB Tremon Smith.
Who has the edge
Offense – Central Arkansas. The Bears rank 14th in the FCS in total offense (461.8) and 20th in scoring (34.8). The Huskies are at 114th in scoring offense (12.5), with five TDs in four games. Defense – HBU. Give the Huskies’ defense credit. Despite their offense’s anemic output, they’ve kept their team in every game. They held McNeese State, which came in averaging 37 points and 444.7 yards, to 27 and 306 while forcing four turnovers. Special teams – Even. Huskies K Alec Chadwick is 4-of-5 on FGs. His only miss of the season was from 56 yards against McNeese State. He hit a 54-yarder against Abilene Christian. P Christian Guzman is averaging 43.4 yards per punt. The Bears’ kickers are automatic, but they’re averaging only 34.9 yards per punt, and they’ve allowed one puntreturn TD.
Notable: Central Arkansas rolled 56-13 last season in both teams’ season opener in Arkansas. But the 13 points were more than the Huskies managed in the first two meetings — a 70-0 loss in 2014 and 43-7 setback in 2015. … HBU’s Raphael Lewis was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against McNeese. The junior had two INTs in the game, returning one 21 yards for a TD.
About HBU: The Huskies have fought valiantly on defense, but they’ll be hard-pressed to build on their outing against McNeese against eighthranked Central Arkansas, which just took down Sam Houston State. Last week’s bye will help, but the Huskies must find a way to generate more offense. They did not score a TD on offense against in the 27-12 loss to McNeese State, with their points on Lewis’ pick-six, a FG and a safety.
About Central Arkansas: The Bears relegated their season-opening setback to Kansas State to the distant past, taking down then-No. 3 Sam Houston 41-30 last week for their third consecutive win, which dropped the Bearkats to 11th and ended a 12-game conference winning streak. Last season, Central Arkansas lost to the Kats 59-23, but this time it opened with Smith’s 42-yard picksix and held them to 17 points through the first 35 minutes.
WHEN: 6 P.M. SATURDAY WHERE: HUSKY STADIUM TV: FSSW+ RADIO: NONE